SOMERSET County Cricket Club captain Tom Abell has vowed to keep leading the charge for trophies after putting pen to paper on a contract extension with his boyhood club.

The 25-year-old, who was made captain in December 2016, lifted the Royal London One-Day Cup in 2019 and topped Somerset's County Championship batting averages as he led Somerset to second place.

He has now added another year to his existing contract, ensuring Abell will stay in Taunton until at least the end of the 2022 season.

Since making his Somerset debut, Abell has scored more than 3800 runs in 73 First Class matches with a best of 135.

He has also taken 35 First Class wickets at an average of 26.68.

Abell said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to have signed this extension and I couldn’t be happier.

"Ultimately, it’s about winning and the reason I’ve signed is because I want to win things here.

"It’s no secret that this is my home club and I’m very passionate about Somerset cricket.

"I firmly believe that with the squad we have and the people behind the scenes we can continue to win things.

“Lifting the Royal London One-Day Cup this year was incredible but by no means have we finished there.

"Having won that competition, we were desperate to win the Championship.

"It didn’t quite happen, but our sights are firmly set on going one better next year.

“The club means absolutely everything to me. It’s my life and I try to give absolutely everything that I can for Somerset cricket, and it hurts when that’s not quite enough and we don’t come out on the right side of the result.

"To me, this place is my extended family. A lot gets made of the support that we get and rightly so. Having the support that we get is incredible.”

Somerset director of cricket Andy Hurry said: “We can’t speak highly enough of Tom.

"He is an extremely talented cricketer who is able to adapt his game across the three formats.

"This kind of versatility makes him the perfect player for the current era.

“He is an outstanding leader of men and, despite still being relatively young, he has a tremendous amount of experience already. "He has the absolute respect of everyone at the club and he perfectly epitomises what a professional sportsman should be.

"His work ethic is second to none and he leads by example both on and off the field.

"His dedication to training, the standards he sets and his outstanding preparation work, allied to his performances on the field, are the perfect example for any aspiring athlete.

“His passion for the game is infectious and that can be seen every time he sets foot in the ground.

"There is no doubt that he has been one of the key factors behind our recent success and his drive and enthusiasm will be vital as we look to the future.”